You already have everything you need to bring your baby into this world. You don’t need to be afraid. It’s an experience like none other, and you can do “hard” things. You will look back in awe of yourself, and what you accomplished. This is what it means to be empowered through childbirth. To get to the other side and say, “Wow, I did that. I didn’t know how I was going to do it, but I did. My body was ready, and my baby is here.” That’s how I felt after my son was born. It didn’t go how I had planned, yet, I still wanted to do it again. I felt empowered to give it even more of myself the second time around.

Do you find yourself feeling frustrated when people mention the “importance of self-care?” Maybe it isn’t even talk of self-care that overwhelms you, but simply not knowing how to respond when someone says “is there anything that you need?” Most of the time having a new baby keeps you so busy that you struggle to even know what it is that you need- let alone how to communicate that. It’s really common to politely respond “Thank you, but we are doing well. I think we have everything we need,” while feeling unsettled and like there is more that could be done for you, if only you could put your finger on it.

If you don’t prioritize yourself, no one is going to do it for you. Realize that you might not be able to reach every single personal goal each day- whether it’s cooking, cleaning, reading or more exercise- but if you do create a little bit of space for yourself every day, you can prioritize at least one thing that will contribute to a long-term healthier, happier you.